5-year-old, parents slain in Mother's Day shooting in Stockton

Monday

May 14, 2018 at 8:34 AMMay 14, 2018 at 8:14 PM

Joe Goldeen Record Staff Writer @JoeGoldeen

STOCKTON — A mass shooting Sunday night in southeast Stockton took the lives of a family of three, including a 5-year-old girl, and sent two men to the hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds, police reported.

“This is just shocking to our entire community,” Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones said, “especially because this family was together celebrating Mother’s Day.

“Based on the type of violence this was, involving parents and a 5-year-old, I haven’t seen this kind of violence in my 25 years. It’s just very impactful and we are working hard to solve it,” Jones said.

While he would not get into specifics, Jones said this case is of the highest priority and he urged anyone with information to contact police.

By midday Monday, police still had not released information on a motive or possible suspects in the shooting about 10:15 p.m. on East 11th at Belleview streets in the Sierra Vista Homes neighborhood.

Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene: Joe C. Lor and Gina Xiong, both 22 of Stockton and the parents of 5-year-old Kayleen Lor, who was pronounced dead at an area hospital, according to police and the San Joaquin County Coroner’s Office.

The two men who were hospitalized have not been identified, and their conditions have not been reported.

The family was gathered in their home for a Mother’s Day celebration when the shooting occurred. A relative said nine people lived in the two-story duplex.

The front window of the home was shot out, and at least five bullet holes could be seen scarring the front of the home. Neighbors reported hearing multiple loud gunshots, as many as 10 or more.

“This news is simply heartbreaking. We must hold accountable those that committed this act of violence and support the family, friends and the community impacted by this horrific crime. Today, I have been working with numerous community groups, Stockton Unified and our Police Department, to ensure this community has the resources and support needed to deal with this tragedy.”

The Police Department’s observation truck, referred to as SPOT, was placed on the street next to the shooting scene Monday morning and was expected to remain for several days. It is equipped with 24/7 multiple video surveillance cameras and is capable of providing a live feed back to police headquarters.

Noting that the victims were members of Stockton’s large Hmong community, Jones emphasized that his department is striving to work with all of Stockton’s diverse communities.

“This crime has really impacted our entire community and the Police Department. We will be working diligently with the Hmong community in general so the family gets justice. We will see what we can do to make them feel safer moving forward,” Jones said.

“I work with and have met with leaders of the Southeast Asian community. We are always looking for more doors to open,” he said.

While Jones would not reveal how much manpower is being dedicated to the homicide investigation, he said it is “a very high priority” for detectives, department staff, neighborhood outreach employees and officers assigned to Sierra Vista.

The neighborhood itself, while poor, has seen a turnaround in recent years in terms of crime reduction, increased literacy and a reduction in poverty, Jones said while adding, “This is shocking no matter where it happens in town. … But this is not representative of what has been going on there over the years.”

Residents who live near the shooting scene said much the same, referring to how “quiet” Sierra Vista is now compared to several years ago.

“All the kids play out here. She was a good little kid,” former neighbor John Johnson said, referring to Kayleen.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the victims’ loved ones at gofundme.com/remembering-gina-joe-and-kayleen.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Stockton Police Department at (209) 937-8377, the Investigations Unit at (209) 937-8323 or Crime Stoppers at (209) 946-0600. Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards up to $10,000. Callers can remain anonymous.

Cellphone users can text information to 274637 (CRIMES) by entering the keyword “TIPSPD” followed by their tip. Or they can use the Stockton Police Department mobile phone app and also remain anonymous. Internet users can visit the Police Department’s Facebook page and click “Submit a Tip.”

Contact reporter Joe Goldeen at (209) 546-8278 or jgoldeen@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/goldeenblog and on Twitter @JoeGoldeen

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